1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope including a channel for inserting an ultrasonic treatment apparatus into a celomic cavity of a body.
2) Description of the Related Art
There is conventionally employed an endoscope that observes a celomic cavity of a body by inserting the endoscope thereinto, and that performs various treatments and procedures on an affected part (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S62-299251). According to the endoscope disclosed in the application No. S62-299251, a forceps port of the endoscope is inserted into a celomic cavity of a body, and an ultrasonic transmitting member of the ultrasonic treatment apparatus is further inserted into the celomic cavity through the inserted forceps port. Then a distal end of the endoscope is operated to be bent while protruding a distal end of the ultrasonic transmitting member from the distal end of the endoscope. The distal end of the ultrasonic transmitting member is thereby brought into contact with a calculus in the body. By actuating an ultrasonic vibrator of the ultrasonic treatment apparatus in this state, the calculus is broken into pieces.
Generally, the ultrasonic transmitting member utilizes a highest-amplitude part of the ultrasonic vibration. Due to this, according to the conventional endoscope, the ultrasonic transmitting member needs to be set to have a predetermined length so that the distal end thereof is located at the highest-amplitude part of the transmitted ultrasonic vibration. In addition, a treatment unit provided on the distal end needs to be positioned within a field of vision of the endoscope. However, the ultrasonic transmitting member of the conventional endoscope includes no unit that positions the treatment unit on the distal end within the field of vision of the endoscope. It may be, therefore, disadvantageously difficult to position the treatment unit of the ultrasonic transmitting member at an appropriate position when the endoscope is used. Therefore, the conventional endoscope may not be user friendly, and it may be disadvantageously difficult to utilize the ultrasonic transmitting member so that it constantly and stably perform its function as designed.
According to the conventional ultrasonic treatment apparatus, the ultrasonic transmitting member is long and the ultrasonic vibration is transmitted by this ultrasonic transmitting member. As the result, a noise vibration resulting from the ultrasonic vibration thus transmitted and different from the ultrasonic vibration may occur to the ultrasonic transmitting member of the ultrasonic treatment apparatus. If such noise vibration occurs, the ultrasonic transmitting member may interfere with a channel in the endoscope, an unpleasant sound called “chatter” is produced, and stable transmission of the ultrasonic vibration may be hampered.